Polypropylene (PP) has been widely used industrially in several sectors, mainly in the use of packaging of different products. Thus, this has been accumulated in our environment due to the incorrect disposal and its high resistance toward degradation, causing an array of environmental impacts. With this, one alternative that has been explored to minimize the problems intensified by these residues is the use of pro-degrading additives. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate the degradation process of PP blends in soil using enzymatic additive. The soil degradation experiment was done for 6 months; monthly collected samples were checked for alterations on the material properties during that time. The extent of PP degradation with enzymatic additive was compared to an organic additive by techniques of FTIR, TGA, DSC, carbonyl index (CI), and crystallinity. From the obtained results it was observed that the additives influenced the degradation of PP. In addition, the enzymatic additive caused more significant changes in the CI (increase of 3693%), crystallinity (variation of 18.7%), and structural characteristics, indicating a greater influence on the degradation process in relation to the organic additive. In this way, this work has had an important role in the research and development of biodegradable materials with the aim of minimizing the effects induced by plastic waste in the environment.

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used polymers in the world, mainly due to its versatility, good properties and low cost. However, as it does not easily degrade in the natural environment, several research projects have been developed in order to increase its biodegradability. The use of pro-degrading additives has been explored, as they promote the polymer degradation process. However, few studies have evaluated the degradation of these materials in natural aqueous environments such as rivers and lakes, which contain large amounts of PP residues. Thus, the present work aims to evaluate the influence of different additives on the degradation process of PP in natural freshwater. Samples from degradation tests were evaluated for 6 months, and their structural, morphological and thermal properties (crystallinity, etc.) were monitored. From the obtained results, it was observed that the additives influenced the degradation of PP. In addition, the enzymatic additive had more promising results since it caused more significant changes in the properties analysed, especially in relation to the morphology and structural characteristics analyses (and consequently the carbonyl index), indicating a greater influence on the degradation process. Thus, the materials studied in this work are an alternative in the field of plastic packaging, reducing the effects caused by plastic waste on the environment.

Polyethylene degrades slowly when discarded in the environment and exposed to natural weathering. A solution to this problem is the incorporation of additives to accelerate its biodegradation. In the present study, a biodegradable low-density polyethylene (LDPE) blend was obtained by the mixture of LDPE with a biodegrading additive (8% w/w) and the effect of accelerated weathering on biodegradation process was assessed. Chemical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of non-aged and aged samples were studied. Results showed that aging process caused changes on structural characteristics (insertion of functional groups), morphological (appearance of micro-cracks and increased roughness), mechanical (greater stiffness and loss of plasticity) and thermal (lower degree of crystallinity and thermal stability) properties. The presence of biodegrading additive contributed to aging process, since polar functional groups were inserted into additive exposed to soil underwent greater degradation than their non-aged counterparts. CO 2 production of aged LDPE blend demonstrated that accelerated weathering influences biodegradation process. In this work, due to availability of O 2 gas, aerobic microorganisms can be the main responsible by the material deterioration, leading to production of microbial biomass, CO 2 and H 2 O. Thus, the results of biodegradation (166 days) obtained in this work are promising, once it was reached a natural soil from South Brazil landfill.

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Elaborado por Maurício Amormino Júnior-CRB6/2422 O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em sua forma, correção e confiabilidade são de responsabilidade exclusiva dos autores. 2019 Permitido o download da obra e o compartilhamento desde que sejam atribuídos créditos aos autores, mas sem a possibilidade de alterá-la de nenhuma forma ou utilizá-la para fins comerciais.